Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images

Smilla Holmberg recovered sufficiently from a foot injury to feature in both of Sweden ’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Lithuania , scoring in the 10-0 second-leg victory.

The Arsenal defender had sprained her foot in training on October 6 , missing the following day’s session while undergoing treatment.

Sweden’s head of performance, Niklas Egnell , said: “She sprained her foot during yesterday’s training. Rehab, treatment and further examination await today.”

The injury initially placed Holmberg’s involvement against Lithuania in doubt, but she recovered in time to play 64 minutes of Sweden’s 5-0 away win in the first leg.

Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images

Holmberg then went a step further last night by scoring Sweden’s third goal in the 26th minute of their 10-0 victory.

The goal came from a cross by Bella Andersson , a player Holmberg knows well after playing together in Hammarby ’s Under-17 side.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Arsenal 20yo recovers from foot injury to score in 10-0 win" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Live Commentary metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

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